1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector assembly used for electrically connecting a land grid array (LGA) integrated circuit (IC) module to a printed circuit board (PCB), and particularly to such electrical connector assembly which provides excellent joining between the sub-parts thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An electrical connector assembly used for electrically connecting an LGA electrical component to a PCB is widely applied in the field of electronics, and a correlative article is found in Nonlinear Analysis Helps Design LGA Connectors (Connector Specifier, February 2001). Such electrical connector assemblies are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,027,345, 6,146,151, 6,146,152, 6,164,978 and 6,293,806.
FIG. 4 shows such a conventional electrical connector assembly 6, comprising a frame 61 and a base 62 fixed with the frame 61. The frame 61 defines a pair of orientation holes 611 on two opposite sides thereof respectively, and a plurality of recesses 612 in two adjacent sides thereof. The frame 61 further defines two fixing holes 613 at the diagonally corners thereof, with each fixing hole 613 being surrounded by a step (not shown) thereat. The base 62 defines a multiplicity of passageways 621 adapted to receive a multiplicity of contacts (not shown). The base 62 defines two forklike fixing members 622 and two orientation posts 624, respectively corresponding to the fixing holes 613 and the orientation holes 611 of the frame 61. In addition, the base further defines a plurality of restricting posts 623 corresponding to the recesses 612 of the frame 61. When the frame 61 and the base 62 are assembled together, the forklike fixing members 622 cooperate with the fixing holes 613 to fix the base 62 on the frame 61 firmly. Because each fixing member 622 is forklike, a portion thereof connecting with the base 62 is relatively weak. The fixing member 622 is liable to rupture during assembly of the frame 61 to the base 62. When this happens, the frame 61 is prone to detach from the base 62. Moreover, it requires using a slide for a mold design to form the forklike fixing member 622, which will increase the manufacturing cost in molding.
Hence, a new electrical connector assembly is required to overcome the above-described disadvantages.
An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector assembly having securely combined sub-parts.
In order to achieve the aforementioned object, an electrical connector assembly in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a base and a frame assembled with the base. The base comprises two generally cylindrical fixing posts at two diagonally opposite comers thereof. Each fixing post is generally a solid column, but with a planar surface on a circumferential periphery thereof. Each fixing post comprises a top fixing portion. The frame defines two fixing holes corresponding to the fixing posts. Each fixing hole is surrounded by a step thereat. When the base and the frame are assembled together, the fixing posts are deformably received through the fixing holes respectively, and the fixing portions hook on the steps. Thus the frame and the base are combined together firmly and securely. Because the fixing posts are solid and generally cylindrical, in assembly, the fixing posts can fasten the frame on the base firmly and securely with minimal risk of breakage.